This invention relates generally to garment hangers and more particularly to padded hangers which incorporate a pre-formed sleeve of non-slip, soft material.
Hangers have been disclosed in the patent literature and are commercially available which include covering portions of the hanger to provide strength and to prevent misforming of the hanger when garments are hung thereon, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,516 by Rice.
Rice, teaches the application of materials to wire hangers to increase the surfaces of the frame of the hanger and to strengthen the hanger. The material attached to the hanger is made of hard plastic or like material. A longitudinal opening in the material enables it to be placed upon the wires of the hanger frame, and bar attachements connect the material together to provide further strengthening.
A clothing hanger guard is disclosed by Hill in U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,545. The guard comprises a soft plastic sleeve, with one end closed and the other end open. The open end is slipped over the open end of the hanging hook of a wire hanger to strengthen the hook.
Other methods include the gluing of non-slip material to the frame of the hanger or the sewing of soft material onto the hanger after the hanger has been manufactured.
The sewing of soft material coverings onto hangers is tedious and expensive and does not allow for easy removal of the covering or replacement of the covering when the hanger is in use.
Existing devices do not provide for a simple inexpensive means for manufacturing a covered hanger which incorporates a pre-formed and pre-sewn sleeve of material for preventing slippage, clinging, snagging or tearing, mis-forming and creasing of garments, and which enables efficient drip drying of garments.